Methylphenidate not working anymore
My ADHD Meds Don’t Work Anymore
Written by Camille Noe Pagán
In this Article
- Why Medication Doesn’t Always Work
- What to Do if Medication Stops Working
Many people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) use medication to treat their symptoms. Prescription drugs may help you stay focused and ease other symptoms. But they don’t work for everyone. Sometimes, they work for a while and then stop. If you suspect your ADHD medicine isn’t working anymore, here’s what you need to know.
Why Medication Doesn’t Always Work
Stimulants are the most common and effective drugs for ADHD. Stimulants speed up your body’s systems, which can help you focus. Doctors prescribe two types of stimulants for ADHD: the kind that contain a compound called methylphenidate and the kind that contain a compound called amphetamine. Most people with ADHD will get results from at least one of these. But some people may not for one of the following reasons.
Your body’s chemistry. As many as 1 in 10 people don’t get results from either of the two main types of stimulants prescribed for ADHD because they don’t work with their body chemistry. Though experts aren’t sure why, sometimes medicines can stop working even though they did in the past.
Changes in your symptoms. The medication itself isn’t always the problem. It could be that your ADHD symptoms have gotten more severe and that you need more medicine or a different one to get the same results. New life events can make your symptoms worse, too. For example, stressful and demanding situations can make it even harder to focus. That’s why it’s important to talk to your doctor or therapist about what’s happening in your life when you tell them that your medicine doesn’t seem to do what it used to.
Another health problem. It’s also possible that another condition is to blame for new problems that seem like ADHD symptoms. These new troubles could make it seem like your medicine is now less effective.
In fact, an estimated 81% of adults with ADHD have at least one other condition, such as an anxiety disorder, depression, substance abuse, or a mood disorder. Depression and anxiety are especially common in people with ADHD. Symptoms like fuzzy thinking and lack of focus could stem from anxiety or depression. Treating them can make it easier to concentrate and do the things you need to do, like work and take care of yourself.
What to Do if Medication Stops Working
If you’re taking ADHD medicine and your symptoms don’t improve or they get worse, tell your doctor. They may recommend that you slowly increase your dose. If that doesn’t work, you may have to try a different drug. Though stimulants are the most common choice for ADHD, your doctor may recommend you try non-stimulants such as atomoxetine, bupropion, or tricyclic antidepressants.
Some doctors recommend taking a break from your medicine when it doesn’t seem to be working. That involves stopping the drug for a month or two, then taking it again.
Sometimes this can make it effective again. But you may notice an increase in your ADHD symptoms while you’re not taking medication. That’s why experts recommend taking a “drug holiday” during actual holidays, vacations, or other slow times if possible.
But never stop taking your medicine without talking to your doctor first. They may want you to taper (that is, slowly reduce the amount you take). They could also recommend you use nondrug treatments to ease your ADHD symptoms. Some nondrug treatments are:
- Regular exercise. Research shows that physical activity can help you pay attention. It can also boost your mood and may even reduce risky behaviors linked to ADHD.
- Neurofeedback, also known as “brain training” or EEG biofeedback. This involves placing headgear with sensors on your scalp to monitor brain waves while you play a computerized game. This may control ADHD symptoms, though experts say they need more research.
- Talk therapy with a psychologist or therapist who specializes in ADHD.
It’s important to talk to your doctor about how you feel and share any new problems. That can help them find out if you have another health issue that makes it hard for you to focus and function.
ADHD Medication Stopped Working? Troubleshoot Problems
Is ADHD Medication Safe and Effective?
Studies show that ADHD medication safely and effectively improves communication between neurons in the ADHD brain. Amphetamine has been around since 1937, and methylphenidate since 1956. There are more research studies done on these types of medicines than on any other medicine you will ever take. A 1998 study by the American Medical Association1 found that 90 percent of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) responded to at least one stimulant without any significant side effects if the drug is carefully fine-tuned by the clinician.
Most of the work of ADHD prescribers involves adjusting this titration, especially in the early weeks.
In the process, we hear the following questions most often from patients:
The ADHD medication isn’t working. What to do?
“I don’t feel any different after taking this medication. Is it working?”
Insufficient symptom coverage points to one of two problems: You’re either taking the wrong class of stimulant or your dose is too low. Either way, weekly visits to your ADHD clinician are essential. At the outset, titration usually means slowly increasing the dosage of a medication, while monitoring to watch for symptom control and for individual sensitivities and side effects.
[Download This: The Ultimate Guide to ADHD Medication]
This is a sensible approach, but it works for only 60 to 70 percent of all patients. Why? The class of stimulant medication they’re taking — either amphetamine or methylphenidate — doesn’t work with their unique body chemistry. Studies show that only 38 percent of patients respond equally well to both stimulant classes; 26 percent do significantly better on methylphenidate; 36 percent do better on amphetamine.
In general, younger or newly diagnosed children do better on methylphenidates, as do those sensitive to stimulants. Usually it’s best to start with a small dose of short-acting methylphenidate to see if it is tolerated, and to gradually increase the dose to find the optimal dose for that individual. After a tolerable dosing range is established, a longer-acting form of methylphenidate, like Ritalin LA, Jornay PM, or Quillivant XR, might be tried.
Adolescents and adults generally do better on amphetamines, like Adderall, Mydayis, or Vyvanse. But there are myriad exceptions, and no one knows right off which class will work best. If an individual is sensitive to medications or to caffeine, perhaps start with a trial of methylphenidate before trying an amphetamine.
[Free Resource: ADHD Medication Tracking Log]
Should ADHD medication change your personality?
“Why does my child seem like a zombie since he started taking medication?” or “Why am I irritable when I’m on medication?”
If your child loses his usual sparkle, lacks spontaneity, and has no sense of humor when his medication is active, that probably means his dosage is too high, or that it’s not the right medication for him.
Likewise, if you or your child experiences irritability throughout the day or feels jittery and on edge — and if these feelings fade at the end of the day — that suggests the dosage is too high. These side effects also appear when a patient is taking the wrong class of stimulant, so clinicians should consider both dosage and class.
The “right” dosage of an ADHD stimulant is not based on a patient’s weight, age, or severity of symptoms. It is a matter of how sensitive your body is to this particular type of medicine and this particular dose. Sometimes that sensitivity remains constant within all methylphenidates or all amphetamines — and sometimes it varies from brand to brand, and from brand name to generic.
How can I adjust the ADHD medication so that it works at the right time of day?
“My child has no appetite during the day and his lunches come home uneaten” or “We struggle through homework and dinnertime because my child’s symptoms come back.”
These are different problems with a common root cause: a stimulant formulation that doesn’t work for your family’s schedule.
The length of time it takes for a medication to kick in and its duration vary from one person to another. Careful titration and fine-tuning can avoid or eliminate most side effects and ensure coverage when you or your child need it.
For example, appetite for lunch is often reduced in the early weeks of starting a stimulant. Usually, but not always, that improves after a few days or weeks and is not a big problem. If it remains a problem, a lower dose or shorter-acting morning medicine may be needed. If appetite for dinner is persistently down from a long-acting medication, it may need replacement by a shorter-acting medicine.
If symptoms return in mid- to late afternoon because a longer-acting medication wears off too early, a small “booster dose” of short-acting stimulant may be added in mid-afternoon to provide late afternoon or early evening coverage for homework or extracurricular activities. If a late afternoon “booster” is used, it should be timed carefully to provide the needed coverage without its interfering with dinner or bedtime.
Amphetamines release medication in a variety of ways: Adderall XR, for example, releases half of the capsule’s face value at a time. If you’re taking 10 milligrams of Adderall XR, it’s like getting five milligrams followed by another five milligrams three to five hours later. Mydayis releases medication in three phases, which some patients say results in a relatively steady and even feeling over most of the day. Vyvanse offers a flatter curve, dispersing medication more steadily for six to 12 hours, on average.
Methylphenidates also come in a variety of forms of release: Concerta releases its medication in three stages over 10 to 12 hours. It releases some medicine off the coating immediately. The inside includes a polymer substance that absorbs water inside the gut, then expands and pushes out methylphenidate from a tiny hole (see “Brand Name vs. Generic” below to learn about various versions of Concerta). Daytrana is a transdermal patch worn on the skin that releases medication evenly for about 9 hours.
Focalin XR, which is basically Ritalin with one of the isomers removed, lasts about eight hours. (It tends to be twice as potent, milligram for milligram, as regular methylphenidate.) Jornay PM is a new medication taken at night; its thick outer layer delays the release of medication for 10 to 12 hours, so patients should wake up with full symptom control that lasts evenly through the day.
Can anxiety and ADHD be treated at the same time?
“Can I use a stimulant to treat ADHD with coexisting anxiety?”
There is a myth that using a stimulant with a patient with anxiety will always make that person more anxious. A recent review study proved this idea to be false. For most people with anxiety and ADHD, carefully dosed use of a stimulant makes their anxiety symptoms no worse — and may improve them.
If a stimulant does have an adverse effect, you will see anxiety increase quickly, but you may be able to adjust the dose to reduce it. If that does not work, the prescriber may suggest a second medicine, perhaps guanfacine or an SSRI like sertraline or fluoxetine, to reduce the anxiety.
When should I change ADHD medications?
“Should I switch to another med?”
If you’re experiencing side effects, but are still early in the process of adjusting ADHD medications, it does not make sense to change the medicine unless those side effects are uncomfortable and persistent. First ask: “How long has this problem been going on?” Most small side effects go away within days or a few weeks. They can often be dialed down by adjusting the dosage.
Then ask yourself: “Are there benefits to the medicine, along with the side effects, or are there only side effects?” When you first start a medicine, it’s not unusual to say, “Oh, it was wonderful. I felt much better and able to focus.” And then the next day or two, it doesn’t work. Usually, what that means is you’re almost at the right dose, so you bump it up just a bit more.
Sometimes a medicine just stops working. If you have tried slowly increasing the dosage and that doesn’t work, maybe it’s time to switch.
You might be able to go back to the original medication if you take a break from it for a month.
What can I do when ADHD medication causes negative side effects?
“Why is my child extremely irritable in the after-school witching hour?” or “Why do I become very anxious as the med wears off?”
If a stimulant has not caused adverse effects during the morning and early afternoon, but the person gets very restless or very irritable or too serious as the medicine is wearing off in mid-afternoon or early evening, it is likely that the medicine is dropping off too fast and the person is “crashing.” Usually such medication “rebound” clears within an hour or two, but it can usually be prevented by prescribing a small dose of the short-acting version of the same medication to be taken shortly before the usual rebound time. That may reduce the long-acting dose at a more gradual rate.
If a stimulant is causing excessive irritability, restlessness or seriousness throughout the day, a dose reduction is probably needed or a change of medication may be required.
A person should be able to be his or her usual self while taking these medications.
However, if the person tends to be too restless or irritable even without any medication, a trial of guanfacine, starting with a small carefully adjusted dose, may be helpful. Also, the clinician should consider whether the person has a co-occurring disorder, such as a mood disorder, rather than or in addition to ADHD.
Do ADHD medications affect sleep?
“Why is my child restless at night and not sleeping?”
Many children and adults with ADHD have chronic difficulty falling asleep, even without taking stimulant medication. For those individuals, it may be helpful to start with a small dose of guanfacine administered an hour or two before bedtime, and to consider adding a stimulant once the sleep problem is stabilized.
How can my doctor help me titrate my ADHD medication?
“My doctor is not an ADHD expert. How can I work with him or her to titrate my medication?”
Let the prescriber know what problems you’re seeing, what time of day they occur, and how long they typically last.
Did you have a headache only the first two days you were on the new medication, or did it persist? Use a daily log to track symptoms and side effects meticulously.
Also, report the benefits. And don’t assume that all changes in behavior are due to medication. Keep in mind your physical and emotional health as well.
Do ADHD medications cause dependency?
“Is stimulant medication a ‘gateway drug’?”
Substance use disorders are twice as likely in those with ADHD — but only if the individuals are not treated effectively with medication. The relationship between ADHD medication and substance abuse is an inverse one. The substance use risk in a person with ADHD who takes medicine drops down to that of his neurotypical peers. Stimulant treatment does not guarantee that no substance use problem will occur, but, if prescribed correctly, it can substantially reduce that risk.
Treatment of ADHD with medication usually reduces that risk during childhood and adolescence.
How can I time the dosage of my ADHD medications?
“My child can hardly function in the morning; it takes too long for her medication to kick in.”
Patients sometimes need to take a short-acting medication in the afternoon because their long-acting medicine wears off too soon. Others reverse this strategy because the long-acting formulation takes too long to kick in. For example, long-acting Concerta takes up to an hour to kick in; short-acting methylphenidate may begin working within 30 minutes. These could be used in concert, but the exact timing depends on a person’s body chemistry.
Jornay PM, which is taken at night, delays the release of medication for 10 to 12 hours, so that patients can experience full symptom control when they wake up. This medication helps some families avoid the cumbersome strategy of waking up their kids an hour early, administering their medication, then letting them go back to sleep while the medication begins to slowly kick in.
My child is experiencing side effects. How should I handle that?
“My child has developed a facial tic since starting her medication. Did the ADHD medication cause that?”
Motor tics, like blinking the eyes, or oral tics, like clearing the throat, do occur in a small percentage of patients. We can usually fix it by changing to another medication or adding guanfacine. Rarely does a tic mean that a child can’t tolerate a class of medication, or that she can’t tolerate any stimulant.
The Complete ADHD Medication Chart
Compare and contrast popular ADHD medications based on chemical compound, duration, delivery method, and medicine release schedule. For medication details, visit additu.de/review.
Stimulants
| Short Acting | Intermediate-Long Acting | ||
| Amphetamines | Amphetamine | Adzenys ER | |
| Adzenys XR-ODT | |||
| Dyanavel XR | |||
| Dextroamphetamine | Dexedrine | Dexedrine ER | |
| ProCentra | |||
| Zenzedi | |||
| Amphetamine | Adderall | Adderall XR | |
| Mixed Salts | Evekeo | Mydayis | |
| Lisdexamfetamine | Vyvanse | ||
| Methylphenidates | Methylphenidate | Methylin | Adhansia XR |
| Methylphenidate HCl | Aptensio XR | ||
| Ritalin | Concerta | ||
| Cotempla XR-ODT | |||
| Daytrana | |||
| Jornay PM | |||
| Metadate CD | |||
| Methylphenidate ER 72 | |||
| Quillivant XR | |||
| QuilliChew ER | |||
| Ritalin LA | |||
| Ritalin SR | |||
| Dexmethylphenidate | Focalin | Focalin XR |
Non-Stimulants
Are there delivery options for ADHD medications other than pills?
“My child can’t swallow a pill!”
ADHD medications come as pills, liquids, capsules that may be sprinkled, and transdermal patches worn on the skin.
Medication Delivery Methods
| Swallow | ||
| Adderall | Effexor | Mydayis |
| Adhansia XR | Evekeo | Ritalin LA |
| Aptensio XR | Focalin XR | Strattera |
| Clonidine | Intuniv | Vyvanse |
| Concerta | Jornay PM | Zenzedi |
| Dexedrine | Metadate | |
| Chew | ||
| Methylin | QuilliChew ER | Vyvanse |
| Drink | ||
| Adzenys ER | Methylin | Quillivant XR |
| Dyanavel XR | ProCentra | |
| Sprinkle | ||
| Adderall XR | Metadate CD | Ritalin LA |
| Focalin XR | Mydayis | Vyvanse |
| Jornay PM | ||
| Patch | ||
| Clonidine | Daytrana | |
| Dissolve | ||
| Adzenys XR-ODT | Cotempla XR-ODT | Evekeo |
| SOURCE: Laurie Dupar, PMHNP, RN, PCC | ||
Note: Brand Name Vs.
GenericMany ADHD medications are just as effective in generic form as in the branded version. However, there are exceptions. For example, two of the three generic forms of Concerta were found by the FDA to not be equivalent to the branded Concerta. Currently the Patriot brand is reported to be the most effective generic for Concerta.
Note: This article is not intended to substitute for the expertise of your prescriber. Medication for each individual needs to be carefully selected and adjusted by a licensed prescriber who can consider all relevant characteristics of the patient’s health profile.
Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who served on the clinical faculty of the psychiatry department of Yale Medical School for more than 20 years. He is now director of the Brown Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders, in Manhattan Beach, California. His most recent book is Outside the Box: Rethinking ADD/ADHD in Children. You can visit Dr.
Brown at his website brownadhdclinic.com.
[A Parent’s Guide to ADHD Medications]
View Article Sources
1 Goldman, L. S., Genel, M., Bezman, R. J., & Slanetz, P. J. Diagnosis and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Journal of the American Medical Association (1998). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9546570
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Benefits and harms of methylphenidate in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Review question
We reviewed the evidence for the behavioral effects of methylphenidate in children and adolescents with ADHD.
Relevance
ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed and treated childhood psychiatric disorders.
Children with ADHD find it difficult to concentrate. They are often hyperactive (fidgety, unable to sit still for long periods of time) and impulsive (doing things and moving around without thinking). ADHD can make it difficult for children to do well in school because they have difficulty following instructions and concentrating. Their behavioral problems can prevent them from getting along well with family and friends, and they often get into more trouble than other children. Methylphenidate is the most commonly prescribed drug for the treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD. nine0005
Study profile
We found 185 randomized controlled trials (RCTs; studies in which participants are randomly assigned to one of two or more treatment groups) involving 12,245 children or adolescents diagnosed with ADHD. Most of the trials compared methylphenidate to a placebo, a pacifier that looks and tastes like methylphenidate but does not contain the active ingredient.
Most of the trials were small and of low quality. Treatment typically lasted an average of 75 days (range 1 to 425 days), making it impossible to assess the long-term effects of methylphenidate. Seventy-two of the 185 included trials (40%) were funded by industry. nine0005
Evidence current to February 2015.
Main results
Evidence suggests that methylphenidate may improve some of the main symptoms of ADHD - reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity and help children focus. Methylphenidate may also help improve the overall behavior and quality of life of children with ADHD. However, we cannot be sure that the results accurately reflect the benefit of methylphenidate.
Evidence in this review suggests that methylphenidate does not increase the risk of serious (life-threatening) harm when used for up to six months. However, methylphenidate is associated with an increased risk of non-serious harms such as sleep problems and decreased appetite.
Quality of evidence
The quality of the evidence was very low for all outcomes. It was possible for participants in the trials to find out what treatment the children received. Reporting of results was incomplete in many trials, and for some outcomes results varied across trials. These considerations limit our confidence in the overall results of this review. nine0005
Terminals
At present, the quality of the available evidence means that we cannot say with certainty whether the use of methylphenidate improves the lives of children and adolescents with ADHD. Methylphenidate is associated with a number of non-serious side effects such as sleep problems and decreased appetite. Although we did not find evidence that there is an increased risk of serious adverse events, we need longer follow-up trials to better assess the risk of serious side effects in people who take methylphenidate for a long period of time. nine0005
Given that methylphenidate is associated with adverse events, designing high quality trials is challenging.
It is easy for clinicians, researchers, and participants to understand whether a child belongs to the experimental group (taking methylphenidate) or the control group (taking placebo). This is a serious risk of bias, which could make us less confident in the results of clinical trials. One way to avoid this is to design trials comparing methylphenidate to a placebo that causes similar adverse events but does not contain any other active ingredient. These tests are known as "nocebo tests." For ethical reasons, nocebo trials should primarily be conducted with adults. Only if these results suggest that methylphenidate is effective in adults should investigators consider conducting trials of this design in children. nine0005
Translation notes:
Translation: Tashtanbekova Cholpon Bolotbekovna. Editing: Ziganshina Lilia Evgenievna. Project coordination for translation into Russian: Cochrane Russia - Cochrane Russia (branch of the Northern Cochrane Center on the basis of Kazan Federal University).
For questions related to this translation, please contact us at: [email protected]
Do we need a magic pill to improve memory and attention?
- Zaria Gorvette
- BBC Capital
Image credit: Getty Images
Nootropics, drugs that purportedly improve mental performance and performance, are becoming increasingly popular. But are they really effective? And what will happen if everyone starts using them?
Honore de Balzac was an avid coffee drinker who believed that coffee was the best way to stimulate the brain. Every evening he went in search of night coffee shops, and then wrote until morning. nine0005
It is said that he drank 50 cups of his favorite drink daily. And ... he literally swallowed ground coffee with spoons - it "worked" well on an empty stomach.
The writer said that after a sip of coffee powder "the ideas in my head began to march briskly, like battalions of a great army that go to the battlefield to rush into battle.
"
Obviously it really helped. Balzac was an incredibly prolific writer, writing almost a hundred novels, short stories and plays. True, he died of heart failure at the age of only 51 years. nine0005
Image copyright, Getty Images
Caption before photo,Honore de Balzac was one of the first proponents of nootropics - to stimulate creativity, he consumed huge amounts of caffeine daily
For centuries, caffeine was the only help in overcoming the mountain of boring and painstaking work .
And only the last generation of workers began to experiment with substances that, in their opinion, increase intellectual abilities and contribute to fantastic performance. nine0005
In fact, some of these "smart drugs" ("mind pills") are already quite popular. A recent survey of tens of thousands of Americans found that 30% of them had taken such drugs within the past year.
Perhaps soon we will start doing all this.
But what will be the consequences? Will a new generation of giants of thought appear, whose brilliant inventions will mark the space age of mankind? Will we achieve insane economic growth? Or maybe the working week will become noticeably shorter, because people will work more efficiently? nine0005
"Changes the mind"
To answer these questions, we first need to figure out what scientists are offering us.
The first drug of this group, piracetam, was synthesized in the early 1960s by the Romanian chemist and psychologist Corneliu George. He was looking for a substance that would cause drowsiness, and after a few months he came up with the drug Compound 6215.
It was safe, but there was no sedative effect either. It seemed to be the other way around. Patients who took it for a month had a significant improvement in memory. nine0005
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George immediately realized the significance of his invention and coined the term "nootropic" - a combination of the Greek words νους ("mind") and τροπή ("to turn, interfere, change").
Today piracetam is a favorite "magic pill" of students and young professionals who seek to improve their performance. Although several decades after the invention of the drug, there is not enough evidence of its effectiveness. nine0005
In the UK, Piracetam is available by prescription only, although the US Food and Drug Administration has not approved Piracetam and has not allowed Piracetam to be sold as a dietary supplement.
Texas entrepreneur and podcast author Mansal Denton takes phenylpiracetam, a close analogue of piracetam developed in the Soviet Union to help astronauts cope with the stresses of space life.
Image copyright, Getty Images
Image caption,Creatine has always been a staple in bodybuilding dietary supplements, but now it is also used to improve mental alertness
"When I use this drug, my speech skills improve, and therefore I usually record a lot of podcasts on these days," he says.
In fact, this effect is quite typical for nootropics. Despite the abundance of their passionate admirers, the intellectual effect is almost imperceptible or non-existent.
Brain gain?
Pass the podkast
Podkast
SCHO TS BULO
GOLD ISTORIA TIZHNIA, Yaku explain our journalism
VIPESS
KINTS PODIST
, For example, take monohydrates. This white powder dietary supplement is usually mixed with sugary drinks or milkshakes, or taken as a tablet.
The substance enters the brain, and recent research shows that creatine does improve working memory and intelligence. nine0005
While creatine is a relatively recent discovery by ambitious young professionals, it has been known to bodybuilders for decades. The substance is the main element of many dietary supplements, and in the US, sports supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry.
In a survey last year by Ipsos Public Affairs, 22% of adults said they had used a dietary supplement in the past year.
If creatine had a serious effect on human performance, we would certainly notice it. nine0005
Of course, there are drugs with a stronger effect.
"Some of them are quite effective," says Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford University.
There is one category of nootropics that scientists and biohackers (amateurs who try to change the physiology of their body at the molecular level) are very interested in.
These are psychostimulants.
The most common of these are amphetamines and methylphenidate, which are sold by prescription under the brand names Adderall and Ritalin. nine0005
In the United States, both drugs are approved for the treatment of people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
But now they are often abused by people whose work requires a high concentration of attention.
Image copyright, Getty Images
Image caption,The psychostimulant Ritalin is designed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but is often used simply to improve attention.
Amphetamines have long established themselves as nootropics. nine0005
This feature was well known to the legendary Hungarian mathematician Pal Erdős, who with the help of amphetamines withstood 19-hour mathematical sessions.
Writer Graham Greene used them to write two books at the same time. Today, their use is quite common among journalists, creative professionals and financiers.
Those who have taken them swear that they really change consciousness, although not in the way you expected.
Back in 2015, a scientific review showed that the effect of amphetamines on intelligence is quite "modest". But most people use them to improve their mental abilities, but rather to increase energy and motivation to work.
nine0005
(Both drugs have serious side effects, more on that later).
One of the effects of psychostimulants like Adderall and Ritalin is to make it easier to perform psychologically exhausting tasks.
One study showed that math problems seemed more interesting under the influence of Ritalin.
Assuming that all people start using mental stimulants, we will have at least two main consequences.
First, people will stop avoiding unpleasant tasks. nine0005
Tired office workers who have perfected the art of idleness in the workplace for years will start frantically sorting documents, updating spreadsheets and enthusiastically attending boring meetings.
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This side effect of nootropics has been talked about for quite some time. nine0005 But whether this is so good is a debatable question.
"Many in Silicon Valley and Wall Street are already using mental stimulants. It's starting to feel like a professional mental sport where the stakes and competition are rising daily," says Jeffrey Wu, CEO and co-founder of HVMN, which makes a line of nootropic supplements. .
But there are significant drawbacks in this. Amphetamines are structurally similar to methamphetamine, a powerful addictive drug that has ruined countless lives. It can also have fatal consequences. nine0005
There are many reports that Adderall and Ritalin are addictive. And they also have a number of side effects, such as nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, stomach pain, and even hair loss.
Finally, psychostimulants are unlikely to increase productivity in general.
An important question, how will the person feel the next day? You can work at your peak for 12 hours, but then for a day or two you will feel a strong decline in activity.
nine0005 However, we still have a few proven options that can be bought without a prescription in every coffee shop.
First of all, this is coffee. Unfortunately, no one has yet calculated the impact of caffeine on economic growth, but many other studies have found many of its benefits.
Image copyright, Getty Images
Image caption,Coffee still seems to be the best stimulant of intellectual activity
Interestingly, caffeine turned out to be more effective than a commercial caffeine-based supplement produced by Woo, which now costs 17.9$5 for 60 tablets.
Well, and secondly, nicotine. Scientists are increasingly realizing that it has a powerful nootropic effect that improves a person's memory and helps focus.
Although the risks and side effects are well known to everyone.
"Some well-known neuroscientists chew Nicorette to improve their mental alertness. But they've all smoked in the past, so it's probably a replacement for a bad habit," says Huberman.
